Stars such as Laurence Fishburne, Mark Ruffalo, and Matthew Broderick were among those urging support on Saturday.
maintain an operational 135-year-old church and theater venue on the Upper West Side
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The Center at West Park, which serves as a community venue for performing arts, is located within the West-Park Presbyterian Church situated at the intersection of 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
In 2010, the structure was granted landmark status, yet
Its owners aimed to overturn this decision, mentioning high maintenance costs, and planned to sell it to developers.
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Funds Being Raised to Purchase Upper West Side Church
Debby Hirshman, who serves as the executive director of the Center, states that since 2023, $8 million has been gathered to cover the building’s upkeep and eliminate the nearly quarter-century-old sidewalk scaffold on it.
Currently, she’s aiming to raise the $34 million that the building has been appraised for, so she can purchase it.
She expressed her hope that by summertime, we would have gathered the necessary funds or at least made significant progress towards our goal.
Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal states that he has been at court discussing matters with the Landmarks Preservation Commission and City Hall.
He stated, ‘We have advanced our efforts, bringing us nearer than ever before to safeguarding this incredible area for future generations.’
CBS News New York attempted to contact someone from the church’s congregation, but that individual chose not to comment.
We must not allow this location to be ruined.
On Saturday, celebrities and activists gathered at the Center to demonstrate their backing.
“You aren’t required to target this magnificent ancient church. Please, I implore you,” said Ruffalo,
a long-term advocate for space exploration
We view this as a significant economic booster for the Upper West Side. It’s essentially how the Upper West Side responds to the Public Theater.
“Growing up, I relied on places similar to this one to discover sports, theater, you name it,” Broderick stated.
The actor known for “The Matrix,” who resides on the Upper West Side, Laurence Fishburne, will be taking part in a staged reading of his play “Riff Raff” at the theater over the weekend.
He stated, ‘We must not lose this location. It’s crucial that we prevent this place from being ruined. We absolutely need to safeguard and conserve it,’.
Emerging producer Bailey Jordan Garcia teamed up with another individual to launch a production company aimed at backing nonbinary and transgender artists.
“And the reality that this might no longer be a space is truly unfortunate,” Garcia stated.
